Updated 11:52 pm, Monday, December 10, 2012

The Cardinals' group of freshmen and their experienced players for that matter, got a feel for what it's like to compete against formidable foe that always plays against high-level opponents.

"We want to challenge our players, so we set up a scrimmage against a good team like this," GHS second-year coach Brett Farson said. "They (Portledge) had a one-goal loss to Greenwich Academy, so we know they play at a high level."

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Greenwich hung with Portledge for the first period, but the visitors from Locust Valley, N.Y., pulled away in the second en route to registering a 7-0 win at Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink.

Alex Horton recorded a hat trick with one assist for Portledge, which led 2-0 after the first period and 6-0 after the second. Effectively moving the puck, Portledge spent the majority of the game in the Cardinals' zone.

"Tonight was the first time we had our offense going," Portledge coach Phil Hills said. "We have a young team that skates well and we have no seniors, so we're real excited about the future of our team. We played some good competition already, we played Greenwich Academy (a 3-2 loss), Canterbury and Morristown Beard and we were in all three of those games."

Junior goalie Dart Freccia made nine saves in the first period for the Cardinals, before giving way to freshman Lisa Lewis in the second. Despte his team's convincing win, Hills left the game impressed with Greenwich.

"I thought their goaltending was good, I see a good future for them," he said. "They had some big, strong girls who muscled us off the puck."